Found keys!

My husband and I take a walk in the evening at the bike path, by the river. It is 2 miles down the hill from where we live. We drive there, park our car and walk at the pedestrian lane alongside the bike path. We go eastward for half an hour and back for another half hour.

About 2 weeks ago, on a nice warm early evening we did the same routine. On the way back to our car we saw a sign taped on the drinking fountain's post that said, "If you found keys pls. call 000-000-0000. Tks." A few yards away my husband saw the keys hanging on the latch of the gate that led to the parking lot. He took the keys and handed it to me. I pulled the sign and tried to call the owner, but I didn't get an answer.

The next morning I called the number again and an answering machine turned on and I left a message and my land line phone number. In less than 5 minutes my phone rang and it was the owner. I told him I have his keys and he can come and get it. I gave him the direction to my house.

At 9 AM my door bell rang. He was on the dot. I opened the door and saw a tall man (over 6' in height). He is about 35 - 40 years old with a few gray hair near his temples. Nicely built, kind of like a Hugh Jackman type.

We did the usual greetings then I handed him his note and his keys. He thanked me profusely, then shook my hand; wished me a nice day and left.

Hey, come back any time! We'll have coffee, tea, or beer, you and me.

On the brink of death.

We left the Reserve a little before 2 PM and headed toward the city of Lancaster. Near the freeway entrance is a shopping center where we found a Mexican Market that has an eatery inside, and we had our late lunch there. After we had our meal, we did a little bit of shopping. Then before we headed out the door, my husband went back to the food area to buy some chicharon. They have big ones, some over a foot in length. They are sold by the pound.

On the drive back home I was sad. My first digital, now 6 years old, is about to go kaput. My husband said it's about time I buy a new and better one; a dslr—digital single-lens reflex. I don't need a dslr camera. A simple camera would be enough for me. I am not aiming to be a professional photographer.

Canon PowerShot S50
My first digital camera, on the brink of death. :-(

I bought my first camera when I was in high school. I don't remember what happened to it. My second one, a hand-me-down from my father; a Kodak. Another Kodak hand-me-down, was my third. Then a Petri, was my fourth. It lasted me a long time, until it stopped working. I don't know where it is now, probably in the dump somewhere. I replaced it with a Nikon, which this time I bought. It is the most sophisticated camera I ever have. It has a zoom lens of 70 to 200. Finding this camera too cumbersome to carry around, I bought a point-and-shoot—a Nikon Lite, my last film camera.

A couple of the pictures I posted on my last publication below, was taken by my husband with his ancient digital camera. His first and only camera. If I'm not mistaken he bought it over a decade ago; and cost him an arm and...perhaps a leg. He's so proud of it. It uses 3 1/2” floppy discs; and downloads the pictures in a pc with a 3 1/2” floppy drive. It does take good pictures.

Sony Digital Mavica MVC-FD91
My husband's ancient digital camera.

Now before heading straight home from Lancaster, we stopped at Sam's Club to do a little grocery shopping. I went directly to their camera department to see what they have. I readily picked up a Canon PowerShot SX20IS, the least expensive of the lot; asked a few questions from the sales associate then went on with our shopping.

That night I browsed the internet to see more cameras, and their prices. My heart was dead set on the SX20IS. I like the features and 95% of the reviews were good. The price is almost the same as my first digital, a Canon PowerShot S50. Digital cameras nowadays are less expensive than the first ones, as the prices get more competitive.

Two days later I went to Best Buy to see again for myself the camera; to handle it and see all the features. I like it very much.

The next morning I worked on my camera. Blew whatever dust got stuck in it, then gingerly pushed the cover to close it. I put the battery in then slid open the cover, and the lens came out. Alleluia! It's working! It's working! I took some shots to test it and yes...yes, it's working.


The Canon PowerShot SX20IS.

But, I'm still thinking of that one above, the Canon PowerShot SX20IS. Where is my piggy bank?

The hills are alive...

...with poppy flowers. Well, rolling plains, is more like it.

To beat the crowd, hubby and I drove up to Lancaster one Friday morning to see for the first time the California poppies I've been hearing about. Lancaster is 45 miles from my place, and the California Poppy Reserve is another 15 miles from the hub of the city. After exiting freeway 14 we drove through a single lane paved road, and passed an expanse of land without any vegetation, except for a few Joshua trees, some tumbleweeds, and other desert weeds. This place is high desert; windy and extremely cold or hot. Getting closer to the Reserve one can see the wild flowers scattered along the road and beyond. The color of yellow-orange is so vivid I was tempted to stop the car and take a closer look. Some cars have parked on the shoulder to take pictures of the flowers.

This shot was taken a couple of miles before the reserve,
and while the car was running.
(Click image to enlarge.)

Since our destination was the Reserve my husband just kept driving till we reached the place. There is ample parking with fee, of course; restrooms with portable lavatories; picnic tables, and benches along the trails. As usual, it was windy and a bit cold, so I donned my spare light jacket to keep warm; and braced myself from being knocked down or blown away. :-D.

A panoramic view.

Poppies as far as the eye can see.

The California State flower, up close...

...and windblown.

The Old Glory and the California flag flying high.

I took shots of the hilly place, and close-up of the flowers. Then my camera's cover got stuck. And that was the end of my shooting spree. Oh, darn. I think, dust got in it. At any rate, above were some of the shots I took.

Destination Redondo Beach...again.

It has been only the past month that I have gone back to Redondo Beach. Three months previous to that, I was on a journey that did not allow me to venture outdoors that much. I did some short trips to grocery stores, with my husband, for our basic needs. On the last Saturday of the month of April was my second trip back there. Hubby and I always go there and we head out to make it just in time for lunch.

Spicy seafood soup.
(click image to enlarge)

Our favorite lunch place is a Korean Restaurant right on the pier. We have tried other restaurants, on the pier and on the boardwalk, but theirs have the best seafood soup. It consists of chunks of halibut, slices of tofu, slices of daikon, some pre-cooked shrimps, napa or Chinese cabbage, onions, green onions, and Korean chili powder. It is chili hot; and the first time I had it, heat seemed to come out from my nose, ears and eyes. But now I'm used to it. The order is served in the wok it was cooked in, and it comes with a bowl of rice for each person and a bowl of kim chee.

We strolled the pier and the boardwalk, after we had our fill of the soup. Fish were not biting much that day. I've seen only a few fishermen catch mackerel, which usually swim by the pier.

Something interesting would always catch our eyes, each time we are there, like this bird who was about to gulp his/her 3rd fish head left by fishermen on the cutting table.

Farther down the pier was a man feeding pigeons...

...while this pelican would rather take a rest...and then, finally, dosed off.

A fishing boat being trailed by a flock of birds waiting for hand outs from the fishermen.


A lone man paddling by himself. Paddle and board can be rented by the boat slips.


Clams on a race to the top of the rock. I wonder how long it took them to reach the top. :-D



Dried spider crabs.

Inside the fish store we found that prices of fish have gone up. Up high.

Tilapia...

...and red snapper.



By the boat slips a family was pedaling a rental boat. They had a hard time maneuvering it as it didn't have a steering wheel. The pedals are used to steer it.


Two girls walking their bikes on the lower board walk. Bike paths are on the upper boardwalk where they can ride their bikes.


These two having fun with their converted bikes.



And on our way home, a plane with a Swiss flag at its tail was ready to land at the Los Angeles International Airport, a few miles from the freeway.

We were home in 45 minutes. What a day!

A birthday bash at 85!

I figured we would be half an hour late, but it went beyond that. We, my husband and I, got to the party an hour late. It started at 11 AM and was to end 3:30 PM, so an hour was not bad. The food was buffet style, and there were still plenty left. On our way there, we made a wrong turn and got past our exit on the freeway. We exited after noticing that we reached the next town already, and we looked for familiar street names. We found one, and drove till we got there. The party was well underway, but some tables still have empty chairs left, so we grabbed a couple for us.

The invitation.

(click image to enlarge)

The birthday girl...err...celebrant was my landlady some decades ago. Till now she never forgets to invite me and my husband at her parties. When she turned 80 five years ago, we were there to celebrate with her. It was a casual party with a few friends in attendance. I gave her a 16" x 20" oil painting.

This time, I gave her an 8" x 10" painting I did summer of 2009.

The celebrant dancing with a guest.

Now turning 85 is a bigger milestone. More people were invited and she was dressed to the hilt in a white, lacy embroidered gown. It is amazing that at her age she can still dance a little, though I noticed that she has a bit of a hunch and has a hard time getting on her feet. She has some gray hair; some wrinkles; but all in all she looks fantastic, and very alert. Except for the stiffness of joints she could pass for a 60-year-old.

The celebrant with some guests.

There was a short program that included a toast with a brief biography of the celebrant; introduction of the offspring and their children; her siblings and their spouses and children. This party was given to her by her 3 children. The oldest now in his late forties; the middle, a woman in her forties, married with children; and the youngest in his early forties, married with children, as well. The celebrant's husband and father of the children passed away sometime in the 1970s.

Guests hitting the dance floor.

And, as usual, in any Filipino party there is always dancing. As soon as the music was on everyone was at the floor doing their line dancing, cha-chas, and mambos...except for me. I have forgotten the steps of those dances, and besides my husband has 2 left feet. With a slow dance, he always stepped on my foot. Ouch! So, I'd rather not dance. Why suffer?

When we said good-bye to her youngest, he said, "See you in 5 years." I gave him a thumbs up. It's possible she would still be around by that time.

Would I wish to get to that age? Yes, if I could still boogie and eat without dentures.

Never a dull moment

I was halfway through reading my niece's email when the telephone rang. I picked it up and saw that it was my friend, Jun. "Hello," I greeted her.

"Good morning. How are you?" she greeted me back.

"Good, I'm good. What's going on?"

"Nice day today, huh?" she said. The sun was out and it seems it's going to be warmer than the previous days, where the sun peeked in and out of the clouds and there was a slight breeze.

"Yup, better than yesterday, and the other days. Clear blue sky," I said as I looked out the window.

"Don't you feel like going out? I don't want to stay home and get fungus on me," she added.

"You mean get moldy," I said.

"Right," she replied.

It's a Tuesday and there's a free flea market about 6 miles from where I live. Since I've been cooped up in the house during those days, I haven't seen nor gone out with Jun and my other friends. We talked on the phone quite often, and she understood why I can't meet with her. I've gone out a lot of times mostly with my husband to do some grocery shopping. She knew that I've passed "that route" already, and figured that this time, as I have alluded to her, that I might be ready to meet her.

"It's a little past 10 o'clock; it's still early. Okay, I'll get dressed then I'll call you."

I have not driven my car for like 6 months and it seems I'm not sure of my confidence to drive again, unless someone is there by me. My husband drove me all those times.

Jun promised to pick me up. I called her as soon as I was ready and she was there in my driveway in no time at all. I jumped in her car and gave her a hug. We haven't seen each other for a while and during those times she has grown her hair long. She usually wears a short hairdo.

We chatted non-stop as she drove, till we got to the flea market. Maybe I'll be lucky this time and find some good stuff. I bought a lot of frames here. Some were used with a couple of nicks, but I retouch those with acrylic paint. Some were never used still wrapped in kraft paper. I bought some canvasses in their original wrappers, oil paints, watercolors and brushes; and the prices are unbelievably low.

This time I got myself a small gold leafed photo frame for a 5" x 7" picture for a measly $0.75!; a pair of gel shoe insoles for $0.50; and a glass tumbler for 0.25, and all in it's original packages. The tumbler will be for my bathroom; time to replace the old beat up plastic one I have. It was not much this day but going out there was fun and worth the time.

(click image to enlarge)

After our flea market sojourn, we headed for lunch at a fast-food restaurant. While we ate our fish sandwiches we talked and laughed, talked and laughed, and talked and laughed some more.

Then we drove to a nearby clothes store to shop for some clothes. Jun needed light clothes for her trip to Hawaii this coming week. She found a few she liked, and a nice, bejeweled pair of sandals. I bought a cute cotton hat for me; could not find a nice, cheap...err...inexpensive pair of shoes.

On the way home I said to Jun, "My husband isn't home. He's in prison!" Then I laughed. I have never laughed so much for quite a long time.

"Whaaat?" was Jun's surprised question. Then she laughed, as well, realizing it was a joke. "Why you!" she added.

"He's at the polling place; he's the inspector. Today is local election day," I said.

She dropped me off at my house. I thanked her and we said our good-byes. We had fun. There's never a dull moment with Jun.

The road less traveled

It's been a long while. I was on a journey, an uncertain one. The road was dark, desolate, and forbidding; but it was one I have to take. There was no other route. Along the way my life flashed before my eyes; saw myself when I was a young girl till my adulthood. I remember my friends in high school, and wondered where they are now. I reminisced my college days; and thought about my siblings and parents.

My life seemed to have made a screeching halt some 6 months ago, but I moved on determined to pass the dark clouds above my head. I trudged on hoping to reach the end of the lonely road; hoping to see a silver lining behind the dark clouds. And what seemed to take forever finally ended. I was there at the end of the road.

The sun was brightly shining, and I basked in it. I felt the warmth on my arms, face and my bare head. What a joy!

I have passed the dark clouds and now there was a clear blue sky. Then it dawned on me that I am not out of the woods yet. I, however, will go on and take it one day at a time... and celebrate.

Thank you all...

...my blogger friends who have visited,

sent greetings by email,

and made comments on my posts.

I am sorry I have not visited any of you for a while.

Hopefully, I'll be able to by next year.

May you all have a Blessed

and Happy New Year!


Mari

Flash back

The ceiling fan is slowly spinning, casting a soft shadow on the cottage-cheese-finish of the gypsum board ceiling. As I stared at it my thoughts raced back to that day when I was a kid of 10, ill in bed. The ceiling of my room was made of planks of wood with old faded white paint. I don't remember how long I've been sick; never counted the days. All I wanted was to get better and be on my feet again.

In the morning my 2 older siblings and my mom would leave for school, and I was left in the care of someone. She cooked my meals which at that time was tasteless; checked on me from time to time; and felt my temperature with the back of her hand on my forehead.

It was so quiet during the morning until mid-afternoon. There were times I dozed off. When kids in the neighborhood were back home from school, I could hear them playing, laughing and having fun. I longed to be with them, and have fun myself.

At this time my mom, brother and sister would be back from school, they would come and visit me in my room. My mom would check my temperature, and made sure I was doing okay; that I was getting better...not on the brink of death. I learned later on, when I was already an adult that I had pneumonia.



One day, feeling much better, I got up and tried to walk. On my first step my knees buckled under my weight, and I fell on the floor. But instead of crying, I laughed. I was so happy that I could get up and be on my feet again, though shaky. A little friend who was visiting me at that time laughed with me. I would get up and try again, though knowing that I'm still weak and would hit the floor...again. Still it didn't matter. We laughed till we were spent.

A few days later on, I was back in school; glad to be up and about.

The ceiling fan is still going on; is having a hypnotic effect, and the hum of the motor...is...lulling...me...to...s l e e p.

Vote for a young hero

CNN HEROES: EFREN PENAFLORIDA

CAVITE CITY, Philippines (CNN) -- At 16, Rhandolf Fajardo reflects on his former life as a gang member.

Efren Peñaflorida's Dynamic Teen Company
offers Filipino youth an alternative to gangs through education.

"My gang mates were the most influential thing in my life," says Fajardo, who joined a gang when he was in sixth grade. "We were pressured to join."

He's not alone. In the Philippines, teenage membership in urban gangs has surged to an estimated 130,000 in the past 10 years, according to the Preda Foundation, a local human rights charity.

"I thought I'd get stuck in that situation and that my life would never improve," recalls Fajardo. "I would probably be in jail right now, most likely a drug addict -- if I hadn't met Efren."

Efren Peñaflorida, 28, also was bullied by gangs in high school. Today, he offers Filipino youth an alternative to gang membership through education.

(Click below to vote for Efren. --Mari)

Vote now for the CNN Hero of the Year

"Gang members are groomed in the slums as early as 9 years old," says Peñaflorida. "They are all victims of poverty."

For the past 12 years, Peñaflorida and his team of teen volunteers have taught basic reading and writing to children living on the streets. Their main tool: A pushcart classroom.

Stocked with books, pens, tables and chairs, his Dynamic Teen Company recreates a school setting in unconventional locations such as the cemetery and municipal trash dump.

Peñaflorida knows firsthand the adversity faced by these children. Born into a poor family, he lived in a shanty near the city dump site. But he says he refused to allow his circumstances to define his future.

"Instead of being discouraged, I promised myself that I would pursue education," he recalls. "I will strive hard; I will do my best."

Don't Miss

• Get involved: Dynamic Teen Company
• In depth: CNN Heroes

In high school, Peñaflorida faced a new set of challenges. Gang activity was rampant; they terrorized the student body, vandalized the school and inducted members by forcing them to rape young girls, he says.

"I felt the social discrimination. I was afraid to walk down the street."

Peñaflorida remembers standing up to a gang leader, refusing to join his gang. That confrontation proved fateful. At 16, he and his friends "got the idea to divert teenagers like us to be productive," he says.

He created the Dynamic Teen Company to offer his classmates an outlet to lift up themselves and their community. For Peñaflorida, that meant returning to the slums of his childhood to give kids the education he felt they deserved.

"They need education to be successful in life. It's just giving them what others gave to me," he says.

Today, children ranging from ages 2 to 14 flock to the pushcart every Saturday to learn reading, writing, arithmetic and English from Peñaflorida and his trained teen volunteers.

Watch Peñaflorida and his group in action with their push cart classroom »

"Our volunteers serve as an inspiration to other children," he says.

The group also runs a hygiene clinic, where children can get a bath and learn how to brush their teeth.

Since 1997, an estimated 10,000 members have helped teach more than 1,500 children living in the slums. The organization supports its efforts by making and selling crafts and collecting items to recycle.

Take a look at the slums where Peñaflorida and his group spend their Saturdays »

Through his group, Peñaflorida has successfully mentored former gang members, addicts and dropouts, seeing potential where others see problems.

"Before, I really didn't care for my life," says Michael Advincula, who started doing drugs when he was 7. "But then Efren patiently dug me from where I was buried. It was Efren who pushed me to get my life together."

Watch Advincula describe how he met Peñaflorida in the slums »

Today, Advincula is a senior in high school and one of the group's volunteers.

Peñaflorida hopes to expand the pushcart to other areas, giving more children the chance to learn and stay out of gangs.

"I always tell my volunteers that you are the change that you dream and I am the change that I dream. And collectively we are the change that this world needs to be."

************************

Voting is being conducted through an online poll at CNN.com/Heroes, ending November 19 (6 a.m. ET)

Source: CNN.com

A little help would go a long way...

Click image to enlarge.

Below is a forwarded message I got in my email. I thought I would post it here rather than forward it again.

Hi Folks,

I'm sure you do want to help our poor people back home in the Philippines--we cannot but see the reality of their situation--it is all over the news, TV, radio, internet, etc. and it is truly heart-breaking and heartrending.

Well - God provided an easy way to help - He touched the hearts of the owners of MAYFLOWER RESTAURANT in Chinatown (Los Angeles, CA) . They are offering 50% of whatever sale they will generate on TUESDAY, OCTOBER 27 - FROM 10:00 a.m.. - 10:00 p.m. (Please see attached flyer)

This will only cost you whatever you are willing to pay for a meal - at the same time that you are helping our kapwa Pilipino!

But you can help further and go an extra mile by forwarding this email / flyer to all your friends, co-workers, etc - and by word of mouth - invite them to join you for a meal at Mayflower Restaurant - you can also ask your Pastors, Employers, etc. to have the flyer posted on your bulletin - the more people who will eat there - the more funds we can get .

It is really very simple, isn't it - so I am hoping to see you there on the 27th with everybody you can invite - let us match the generosity of Ha and his family - it took a Chinese Restaurant to think of this very creative and generous way of being in solidarity with those who are suffering - God will bless them abundantly.

Salamat po mula sa puso at pagpalain tayong lahat ng Diyos!

Sr. M. Christina, rgs

Little Tokyo in a day.

overdue post

i have put this post on hold since the assault of a vengeful right hand. it took upon itself to cut the left finger on the other hand as it had alleged it doesn't do much work as itself does. however, the revenge boomeranged. it is doing much more work now; and can't wait for the victim to heal of its wound.

so does my husband who the other day asked me, "when are your stitches going to be taken out?" my evil eyes looked at him and i gave him an evil smile and said, "why? are you tired of washing dishes?" he smiled his sweetest. hah...hah...hah. he probably appreciates now what i do in the kitchen--the same boring chore day in and day out. he helps, but i do the heavier stuff.

in any event, i will put this in publication as it is now long over due.

Little Tokyo in a rush

My friend, Jun, asked me to accompany her to the Japanese Consulate in downtown Los Angeles. Jun is of Japanese citizenship; and has been in this country for over 40 years. She, however, has not changed her citizenship despite the fact that she once was married to an American and has 3 beautiful children with him. She goes to the consulate to update her papers or status...or whatever.

click image to enlarge

We met at the parking lot of the smaller train station, about 3 miles from my house. This one has a smaller lot and it was almost full when I got there at about 9:00 in the morning. We were to catch the 9:45 train. She came a few minutes after I got there. We got our tickets; boarded the train; and we were at the Union Station 55 minutes later.

We boarded the same bus as I did with my husband, and got off right across the street of the building -- Two California Plaza on South Grand Ave. The skyscraper has 52 stories constructed of concrete, glass and steel; and of modern architecture.

Security was tight that we have to present our IDs at

the front desk and they handed us a computer printed name tags we stuck on our clothes. As one of the young men handed me my name tag he said something I didn't understand. I gave him a quizzical look. With that he asked, "You're not Japanese?"

I shook my head and said, "No."

"I'm sorry. The consulate is on the 17th floor," he said.

"I'm Japanese," Jun said. And they talked a bit in Japanese.

We took the elevator to the consulate. At the door of the consulate there is a security guard. We opened our purses for inspection. I have to leave my bottled water at the hallway, as it's not allowed. We got in; got out in about half an hour. Her business there was done pretty quick, as she had all her papers ready.

We then headed to the bus stop. Took the same bus; got off; took another bus heading towards Little Tokyo where we were to have lunch...and a little grocery shopping. We were short of time, but I managed to shoot a few photos.

The Walt Disney Concert Hall
click image to enlarge

We boarded a bus across the Disney Hall...

...and got off a few yards from this tower. This tower marks where the Japanese village is. Going around in that place is like going inside a tiny village. It has walkways and trees and shops. We found a small restaurant and went in. We were not looking for a fancy restaurant, as we were famished.

I had a combo of teriyaki pork, green salad, fried potato salad, rice and...ham with scrambled eggs. The ham was too salty -- as is always with processed food. I wonder why the plate had ham and eggs. Usually it's for breakfast, but it's in their lunch menu. jun had the same combo, but instead of teriyaki she had fried breaded shrimp. The food was good for two hungry people.

After our lunch we headed to Marukai -- a Japanese market. Marukai is in a wing of a 3-story building. Beside the building is a small plaza.
And in it is a replica of the space Orbiter Challenger...

...and a bust of the first Japanese-American astronaut--Ellison Onizuka. Astronaut Onizuka was one of the crew who perished when the Challenger exploded right after it took off.

We got inside the market and Jun grabbed the things she needed. I was checking the time. If we don't get the 3:45 train, we'll have to wait for the 6 PM one and that would be too late for us. There is one at 4:30, but it won't get to our station where we parked our cars.

Jun got most of her grocery and we got out of there in half an hour. We got to the train station just in time, and boarded right away. We stayed at the lower deck as she had a bulky rolling cart that was full of groceries. The train was packed with passengers heading home.

A few minutes before the train got to our station, a couple of sheriffs entered our car and asked each passenger to show their tickets. We showed them ours. I wonder if there ever are passengers who never buy their tickets. i hardly see anyone, a conductor perhaps, check passengers' tickets.

We pulled in at our home station in 60 minutes; and home sweet home in 5 minutes. I slept tight that night, and woke up as usual...late.

addiction

i have spent more time blogging and surfing the internet than anything else. the summer class is over and i have completed one measly painting--pink geranium. and this painting doesn't even look any good. could i make myself better? yes, if i do more; paint more. as of now, however, i have this unshakable addiction to the internet. my day is not complete if i don't log on. i am unable to use my left hand as i have injured my finger, still i am undeterred typing with one hand.

:-p

I sliced the eggplant...and ouch!

when the knife hit my finger i prayed it would only be like a paper cut. it was not! i saw a deep cut with blood ready to ooze out. i grabbed a paper towel right away and ran to my husband and showed it to him. he dropped what he was doing and ran upstairs with me right behind him.

i snatched a clean pair of pants from the closet; pulled it on with one hand. blood was dripping on the carpet, on the bed and on my pants. my husband got some cotton and pressed them on my finger; wrapped them tight with paper-like tape. then he helped me put on my t-shirt.

we drove down to urgency care about 10 miles away.

we got there. i registered; paid my fee and waited for my call. waited and waited,,,and waited. after half an hour a nurse called me. she got my vital signs then led me to a room and made me sit. she said i'd be the doctor's first patient when he comes in. it was half past 12 noon already. the doctor must've gone to lunch.

i heard people talking in the hallway; footsteps. then silence. everyone left? they forgot me? hello? i'm dying here.

i heard footsteps again. the nurse passed my door and said, the doctor will be right with you. i thanked her. then she was gone.

a few minutes later a man garbed in white came in the room. his tag said, dr. tran, family practice. he's lightly built; about 5'-3". first thing he asked me was, what i was cutting. if i cut meat also. no, just vegetable, was my reply. can you bend your finger? i did bend it a bit.

he undressed my finger and more blood oozed. he washed it with some kind of liquid; blotted it dry a bit; and injected a topical anesthesia. he then got sutures that the nurse gave him and stitched my cut together. while he was doing that blood was still spurting from some open cut. finally, he got them all stitched up. the nurse cleaned my hand; dressed the finger and sent me off.

that was yesterday. today i am to change the dressing, i'm afraid to look at it. i'll let my nurse, my husband, do it for me.

if it's not fish bone in my throat; cut on my finger; or ear infection it's something else. it's the peril of being alive.

And the awards go to ...

...me.

Lovely Blog Award From Bonnie Bonsai


Here are the rules that MUST be followed:

1. Add the logo to your blog.
2. Link to the person from whom you received this award
3. Nominate 7 or more blogs
4. Leave a message on their blog,letting them know they are "One Lovely Blog"!

So here are 7 ingredients, which I love to see in a blog:

1. A lovely host or in other words a good friend
2. Lovely art (candles or other crafts)
3. Lovely communities offering lovely friendship
4. Lovely memes
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Second



The second award.

Thanks for these awards Bonnie. They are lovely. I could use them to decorate my bedroom.

Now I pass these awards to all those beautiful posters who come and visit my blog. So, grab these they are free for the taking. YEAH!

Heading home

The bus made another turn this time to the left, and stopped right there in front of The Union Station. I nodded to my husband. He stood up and made for the door, and he helped me alight. We walked toward the station.

The fancy crosswalk at the main street in front of the station.

(Click images to enlarge)

The Union Station.

This building was built in 1939. It is a combination of Spanish and Moorish architecture on the exterior; and the interior is of art deco style.

The information kiosk manned by friendly employees. They have maps, brochures, and schedules ready for those who come to ask for assistance, or for direction.


Behind the kiosk are a restaurant and a store, and the spacious waiting area with rows and rows of upholstered comfortable seats. All the materials are original. They have not been replaced since it was erected. The ceiling is richly designed with chandelier. On both sides of the area are doors that lead to landscaped courtyards with benches and fountains.


This was the ticket lobby that is now closed to the public, due to the decline of train ridership. It has a row of about 2 dozens ticket windows. During its heyday this was the place where every one came to travel to all parts of the country. It was then used by everyone from all walks of life -- from the rich and famous to the not rich and obscure people. There is now in its place a smaller ticket booth that is served by 2 people; and computers are used to dispense tickets. Departure and arrival of trains are posted on a board electronically by a computer

We found a secluded seat for two and waited till our train pulls in. My husband took a catnap while I looked around and observed people around me. There were 2 young people with big backpacks and duffel bags who came in and purchased tickets. I assumed they were going out of town. Some people have just arrived pulling their big luggage. They must be from out of town. They were met by some friends or relatives.

Union Station has resurrected in the early 1990's when Metrolink was introduced giving the public convenient transportation to and from the outskirts of Los Angeles County and downtown; and to neighboring counties as well. Ridership has gone up and some companies are subsidizing their employees' tickets. That saves them parking fee which costs a lot in downtown. And, also, it reduces traffic and pollution.

When it started operating, we were sent free tickets. I never had the chance to use those. Students in our area have field trips to the city to give them a chance to experience riding the train; and to encourage them to use it. It is now a popular mode of transportation. Some passengers can take their bikes on the train; and when they disembark they can use their bikes to where they are going. Lockers are provided for those who don't want to take their bikes with them.

Half an hour before our train pulls out we headed to the platform.

It was perfect timing. The train just came in and we headed to the upper level; found seats for two in the back row and waited. We chugged out of there 20 minutes later.


We passed this very old bridge. There was something I like about the arches. It's full of graffiti and grime, but I just love it. I must be nuts!

The train picked up speed and at the first station picked up some more passengers, and moved on again, stopping at other stations.


About 40 minutes later we were getting close to our home station. The traffic going north (cars in background going left) has already built up. Had we taken our car we would be one of those stuck in bumper to bumper traffic. Going south towards downtown Los Angeles, traffic was light. At this time everyone was heading home after a hard day's work. In the meantime, we were taking it easy inside the air-conditioned train. My husband closed his eyes again and took a nap. I'm glad he didn't snore.


And finally, here we were back to where we boarded the train. I was so tired from all that walking. That night I slept like a log. I was glad I woke up the next morning. I'm alive!!!